Shipping device with bondable cushion layer

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for preparing an item or plurality of items for shipment. Disposing one or a plurality of items on a rigid surface having a layer of deformable cushioning material with a bonding material thereon wherein the items are connectingly bonded to the foam layer which is deformed in response to the items. The items may be items of china, floral containers, and flower pots, or other similar items.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser.No. 08/796,489, filed Feb. 5, 1997.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0002] Not Applicable

BACKGROUND

[0003] The present invention is related to methods for transportingvarious items such as floral containers and china, wherein the items arebondingly connected to a surface having a bonding layer thereon forminimizing movement and disturbance of the items during transportation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004]FIG. 1 is a side view of a shipping device constructed for use inaccordance with the present invention.

[0005]FIG. 2 is a side view of a shipping assembly constructed inaccordance with the present invention.

[0006]FIG. 3 is a side view of another shipping assembly constructed inaccordance with the present invention.

[0007]FIG. 4 is a side view of another version of the present invention.

[0008]FIG. 5, is a side view of the assembly of FIG. 4 having a floralcontainer disposed thereon.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Shown in FIG. 1 and designated by the general reference numeral10 is a shipping device constructed in accordance with the presentinvention. The shipping device 10 comprises a rigid or semi-rigidsupport surface 12 which has an upper surface 14 and a lower surface 16.A layer of cushioning material 18 is connected to the upper surface 14of the support surface 12. In a preferred embodiment the cushioningmaterial 18 is a foam layer 18. In another preferred version, thecushioning material comprises a sheet of bubble wrap attached to thesupport surface 12. Bubble wrap is commercially available in many sizesand is well known to a person of ordinary skill in the art. Thecushioning material 18 has an upper surface 20. In a preferred versionof the invention a layer of connecting bonding material 22 is disposedupon the upper surface 20 of the cushioning material 18. When thecushioning material 18 is a foam layer, the bonding material 22 isgenerally not a completely discrete layer but at least partiallyinfiltrates into an upper portion of the foam layer 18, and may extendwell into the foam layer 18. The items contained within the shippingassembly are rendered substantially immobile upon the shipping device12, and may be further cushioned, protected, or immobilized by packingmaterial (not shown) disposed within the interstices of the shippingassembly 28. Such packing materials are well known to those of ordinaryskill in the art. In an alternate embodiment the bonding material may bedispersed throughout the cells of the foam comprising the foam layer 18so there is not a discrete layer of bonding material which comprises theconnecting bonding material 22. Included in this alternative embodimentare versions of foam which have inherently adhesive properties. The foamlayer 18 may be disposed upon only a portion of the upper surface of thesupport surface 12, or upon the entire support surface 12.

[0010] The support surface 12 may be any shape which functions inaccordance with the present invention. The support surface 12, may, forexample, be square, rectangular, circular or any other geometric shapewhich enhances the function of the sheet for the purpose disclosedherein. The support surface 12 may be cardboard, wood, metal, plastic,resin, or any rigid or semi-rigid material. The support surface 12 maybe the bed of a truck. The support surface 12 may be a laminarcombination of any of the above materials. Any thickness of the supportsurface 12 may be utilized in accordance with the present invention aslong as the support surface 12 functions to support the objects disposedthereupon.

[0011] The object supported by the support device 10 may be china, avase, a flower pot or or a growing tray containing a floral grouping. Asused herein, the term china includes everyday dishes, cups, plates,bowls, vases, trays, pitchers and other similar household table itemsand may be made from plastic, ceramic, glass, metal, porcelain or othermaterials used to manufacture such items. Vase or flower pot or growingtray refers to any type of container used for holding the floralgrouping or single floral cuttings. In a preferred embodiment only asingle vase or flower pot with a floral grouping therein is disposed onthe support device 10, the bonding material 22 comprising the onlysubstantial means of maintaining the vase or flower pot in an uprightorientation. “Floral grouping” as used herein means cut fresh flowers,artificial flowers, a single flower either fresh and/or artificialplants or other floral materials and may include other secondary plantsand/or ornamentation or artificial or natural materials which add to theaesthetics of the overall floral arrangement. The floral groupinggenerally comprises a bloom or foliage portion and a stem portion.However, it will be appreciated that the floral grouping may consist ofonly a single bloom or only foliage (not shown). The term “floralgrouping” may be used interchangeably herein with the term “floralarrangement”.

[0012] As used herein the term “foam” means a three-dimensional porousmaterial having a reticulated configuration in cross section and whichis pliable and conformable. Examples of foams are open cell polyurethanefoams, PVA foam, and Hypol foam. Preferably the foam has a relativelyconsistent density and thickness. Preferably the foam layer is fromabout ⅛ to ¼ inches thick. An optimal thickness is {fraction (3/16)}inches. Foam materials which may be used in the present invention arecommercially available from various sources, such as that sold under thedesignation SIFZ Felted foam #2 obtainable from Foamex, Inc.; CrestFelted S-90Z, firmness 2 polyurethane foam distributed by Great Western;a microcellular hydrophilic polyurethane manufactured by Time ReleaseScience and distributed by Truly Magic Products Inc.; PVA foam E-1 orE-2 distributed by Rippey Corp.; Hypol foam (2002, 2000, or 3000)produced by Hampshire Chemical Inc.; Acquell and hydrophilic foammanufactured by Foamex Foam Inc., #T70 foam produced by Crown ProductCorp., and Bio-Foam available from Smithers Bio-Medical Systems of Kent,Ohio. Deformable styrofoams may also be used.

[0013] An example of a bonding material which may be applied to theupper surface 20 of the cushioning material 18 is Adhesive #9211available from Dyna-Tech Adhesives of Grafton, W.V. As will be readilyappreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, any number of adhesiveor cohesive bonding materials are commercially available which wouldfunction in accordance with the present invention, as long as theyadhere to the cushioning material 18 and to the object disposed thereon.

[0014] The term “bonding material or bonding means” when used hereinmeans an adhesive, frequently a pressure sensitive adhesive, or acohesive or any other bonding material which functions as a bondingmaterial in accordance with the invention described herein. When thebonding material is a cohesive, a similar cohesive material must bepresent on a surface of the object which will be disposed on the bondingsurface of the shipping device. Preferably, when the bonding material isan adhesive, the cohesive forces between adhesive molecules within thefoam are stronger than the adhesive forces between the adhesive and theitem placed thereon so that when the item is removed from the foam aminimum of adhesive is left on the item.

[0015] Shown in FIG. 2 is a plurality of containers 26 bondinglyconnected to the shipping device 10 via the connecting bonding material22 disposed on the cushioning material 18 which is shown as a foamlayer. The containers 26 and the shipping device 10 together constitutea shipping assembly 28 which may be used to ship the containers 26 to apredetermined location. Each container 26 is anchored or secured to theshipping device 10 via the bonding material 22 and is cushioned andstabilized by the foam layer 18. When the container 26 is placed uponthe shipping device 10, the container 26 deforms a portion of the foamlayer 18 upon which the container 26 rests, as indicated in FIG. 2. Thefoam layer 18 (or any other cushioning material contemplated herein)thereby at least partially conforms to the shape of the container 26 forenhancing the bonding connection between the foam layer 18 and thecontainer 26. Preferably the cushioning layer 18 (in this case, the foamlayer 18), returns to its original shape when the container 26 isremoved from the foam layer 18 after shipping. It will be appreciated byone of ordinary skill in the art that the container shape displayedherein is but one of the great variety of shapes of objects, items orcontainers which may be used in accordance with the present invention.The bonding material 22 may be disposed on all of or only a portion ofthe upper surface of the foam layer 18. The bonding material 22 may havea release layer disposed thereon for maintaining the bonding propertiesof the bonding material and is removed prior to use of the device 10.

[0016] Also shown in the shipping assembly 28 in FIG. 2 is an optionalpartition 30 (also referred to as an insert) which is disposed betweenor over the objects disposed upon the shipping device. Also shown in theshipping assembly 28 in FIG. 2 are optional sidewalls 32 which extendvertically from the support surface 12 surrounding the foam layer 18 andwhich at least partially enclose a space within which the containersreside. The shipping assembly 26 may further comprise a lid (not shown).Although the foam layer 18 is indicated in FIGS. 1-2 as comprising acontinuous layer, the foam layer 18 may instead be disposed upon thesupport surface 12 in any functional geometric form or pattern includingspots, designs, strips, or squares.

[0017] The term “floral grouping” when used herein generally means aplant having a bloom portion and a stem portion. Further, the floralgrouping 34 may comprise a root portion (not shown) as well. However, itwill be appreciated that the floral grouping may consist of only asingle bloom or only foliage, or a botanical item (not shown), or apropagule (not shown). The term “floral grouping” may also be usedinterchangeably herein with the terms “botanical item” and/or“propagule” and may include a plant having only foliage and no blooms.

[0018] The term “growing medium” when used herein means any liquid,solid or gaseous material used for plant growth or for the cultivationof propagules, including organic and inorganic materials such as soil,humus, perlite, vermiculite, sand, water and including the nutrients,fertilizers or hormones or combinations thereof required by the plantsor propagules for growth.

[0019] The term “botanical item” when used herein means a natural orartificial herbaceous or woody plant, taken singly or in combination.The term “botanical item” also means any portion or portions of naturalor artificial herbaceous or woody plants including stems, leaves,flowers, blossoms, buds, blooms, cones, or roots, taken singly or incombination, or in groupings of such portions such as bouquet or floralgrouping.

[0020] The term “propagule” when used herein means any structure capableof being propagated or acting as an agent of reproduction includingseeds, shoots, stems, runners, tubers, plants, leaves, roots or spores.

[0021] An alternative version of the present invention, shown in FIG. 3,is a shipping assembly designated by the general reference numeral 36.The shipping assembly 36 has a plurality of interior support surfaces38, each having a cushioning material 40 exactly the same as describedabove and each having a connecting bonding material 42 disposed thereon.The assembly 36 may comprise a plurality of side walls 44 and upperflaps 46 which are shown in FIG. 3 in a closed position but when liftedin an outward direction can be opened into an open position. Eachsupport surface 38 holds at least one item 48, as described earlier; theitem 48 disposed on the cushioning material 40 and connected thereto viathe bonding material 42, exactly as described above for the shippingassembly 28. The cushioning material 40 may be a foam layer or bubblelayer as noted elsewhere herein.

[0022] Shown in FIG. 4 is an alternate preferred version of theinvention. Designated by the general reference numeral boa is a shippingdevice exactly the same as that shown in FIG. 1 except the cushioningmaterial 18 a is a bubble wrap material. The bubble wrap 18 a isattached to the support surface,12, as above, and has a bonding material22 disposed thereon. In use, as shown in FIG. 5, a floral container suchas a vase or flower pot 26 a, preferably having a floral grouping 50disposed therein, is disposed upon the bubble wrap 18 a, and isconnected thereto via the bonding material 22. The vase or flower pot 26a deforms a portion of the bubble wrap 18 a as shown in FIG. 5, therebyeliciting a cushioning effect from the bubble wrap 18 a. The vase orflower pot 26 a is thereby anchored or secured to the support surface12, in a generally upright orientation for shipment or transport. Thecushioning material may comprise any deformable material known topersons of ordinary skill in the floral arts which functions inaccordance with the present invention. The bonding material may bedisposed on all, or only a portion, of the upper surface of the bubblewrap 18 a.

[0023] When constructing the shipping devices embodied herein, it ispreferable that when the support surface 12 is a cardboard or othermaterial which may be warped by wetness, the adhesive material which isused to connect the lower surface of the cushioning material to thesupport surface is placed first on the lower surface of the cushioningmaterial (rather than to the support surface) before the cushioningmaterial is applied to the support surface.

[0024] Changes may be made in the construction and the operation of thevarious components, elements and assemblies described herein or in thesteps or the sequence of steps of the methods described herein withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of preparing an item for shipment,comprising: providing a shipping device comprising a rigid supportsurface at least a portion of which has a layer of deformable cushioningmaterial disposed thereupon and connected thereto, the deformablecushioning material having an upper bonding surface comprising aconnecting bonding material; and securing at least one item to theshipping device by placing the item upon the deformable cushioningmaterial of the shipping device and bondingly connecting the item to thedeformable cushioning material via the connecting bonding materialwherein a portion of the deformable cushioning material adjacent theitem is deformed in response to pressure exerted on the deformablecushioning material by the item wherein the item is cushioned andsecured for shipment.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein in the step ofproviding the shipping device the bonding material is an adhesive. 3.The method of claim 1 wherein in the step of placing the item, the itemcomprises a connecting bonding material disposed upon a portion thereoffor cooperating with the connecting bonding material of the deformablecushioning material to bondingly connect the item to the deformablecushioning material.
 4. The method of claim 3 wherein in the step ofproviding the shipping device and placing the item, the connectingbonding material of the deformable cushioning material and theconnecting bonding material of the item are cohesive materials.
 5. Themethod of claim 1 wherein in the step of providing the shipping device,the shipping device further comprises a plurality of side walls attachedto the rigid support surface and surrounding the deformable cushioningmaterial.
 6. The method of claim 1 comprising the additional step ofdisposing a partition between or over a plurality of items bondinglyconnected to the deformable cushioning material of the shipping device.7. The method of claim 1 wherein in the step of placing the item, theitem is an item of china.
 8. The method of claim 1 wherein on the stepof placing the item, the item is a floral container.
 9. The method ofclaim 8 wherein the floral container contains a floral grouping disposedtherein.
 10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step oftransporting the shipping device and the item or items secured theretoto a predetermined destination.
 11. A method of preparing a floralcontainer and floral grouping for shipment, comprising: providing ashipping device comprising a rigid support surface at least a portion ofwhich has a layer of deformable cushioning material disposed thereuponand connected thereto, the deformable cushioning material having anupper bonding surface comprising a connecting bonding material; andsecuring at least one floral container having a floral groupingcontained therein to the shipping device by placing the floral containerupon the deformable cushioning material of the shipping device andbondingly connecting the floral container to the deformable cushioningmaterial via the connecting bonding material wherein a portion of thedeformable cushioning material adjacent the floral container is deformedin response to pressure exerted on the deformable cushioning material bythe floral container wherein the floral container is cushioned andsecured for shipment.
 12. The method of claim 11 wherein in the step ofproviding the shipping device the bonding material is an adhesive. 13.The method of claim 11 wherein in the step of placing the floralcontainer, the floral container comprises a connecting bonding materialdisposed upon a portion thereof for cooperating with the connectingbonding material of the deformable cushioning material to bondinglyconnect the floral container to the deformable cushioning material. 14.The method of claim 13 wherein in the step of providing the shippingdevice and placing the floral container, the connecting bonding materialof the deformable cushioning material and the connecting bondingmaterial of the floral container are cohesive materials.
 15. The methodof claim 11 wherein in the step of providing the shipping device, theshipping device further comprises a plurality of side walls attached tothe rigid support surface and surrounding the deformable cushioningmaterial.
 16. The method of claim 11 comprising the additional step ofdisposing a partition between or over a plurality of floral containersbondingly connected to the deformable cushioning material of theshipping device.
 17. The method ot claim 11 further comprising the stepof transporting the shipping device and the floral container or floralcontainers secured thereto to a predetermined destination.
 18. Ashipping assembly, comprising: a shipping device comprising a rigidsupport surface at least a portion of which has a layer of deformablecushioning material disposed thereupon and connected thereto, the layerof deformable cushioning material having an upper bonding surfacecomprising a connecting bonding material; and at least one floralcontainer having a floral grouping contained therein placed upon thedeformable cushioning material of the shipping device and bondinglyconnected to the deformable cushioning material via the connectingbonding material in a substantially upright orientation wherein aportion of the deformable cushioning material adjacent the floralcontainer is deformed in response to pressure exerted on the deformablecushioning material by the floral container wherein the floral containeris cushioned and secured to the device for shipment.
 19. The shippingdevice of claim 18 wherein the connecting bonding material is anadhesive.
 20. The shipping assembly of claim 18 wherein the floralcontainer comprises a connecting bonding material disposed thereon forcooperating with the connecting bonding material of the deformablecushioning material to bondingly connect the floral container to thedeformable cushioning material.
 21. The shipping assembly of claim 20wherein the connecting bonding material of the deformable cushioningmaterial and the connecting bonding material of the floral container arecohesive bonding materials.
 22. The shipping assembly of claim 18wherein the rigid support surface is constructed from the groupconsisting of cardboard, wood, metal, glass, plastic, thermoplastics,fiberglass, and resins.